Addictive Things and What-not

English

This website has a history that started in 2001, containing several articles about addiction and addiction related issues. It got to an end on 2009, and is being partially restored now. As already mentioned, the topics are about addictions and as you may find, the content is a bit boring, redundant and not the most helpful in the world.

Still, there may be topics and some elements of information that might be able to shed some light on the matter. Again, the articles were recovered and not much was possible to do other than to gather and publish the content that focus on the topic of the website, without being more redundant.

Toxicodependencia

Megan, you’re a counselor. What kind of addiction problems do people deal with every day?

Oh my… Quite a few. Hey, I’ve got a story for you guys.

Ok awesome.

One of the biggest problem about addiction is that only a few people actually know what it really is. So as a counselor, I feel that it is my duty to let people know the real meaning of addiction. Knowing what the problem is is already winning half the battle. First of all, let me tell you what addiction. It is not the same as a simple craving. It is normal to have cravings but it is not normal to be addicted to something. It is normal to have a craving for pizza for example.

But when you are indulging in pizza to the point where you are already harming yourself, then you can already be suffering from an addiction. Addiction is not a disease. It is not contagious. Though behavior themselves can be quite influential, there really is no reason to outcast addicts. That will only make matters worse. Addictions are not permanent. Some people believe that either you have an addictive personality or you don’t. While some people are more inclined to become addicts, everyone has the potential to become addicted to something.

Now that you know what addiction is not, it is time to give a working definition of the world addiction. It is actually a condition where a person is frequently being compelled to indulge in a particular behavior that provides a short-term feeling of mania or relief. The problem with addictions is that it can ruin a person’s life. This is because a person who is addictive to something would give up everything just to be able to satisfy a craving, including his or her money, reputation, family, friends, etc.

The operational word in the above definition of the word addiction is compelled. Often, you will hear from addicts that they feel that some force is overpowering them and that they cannot control their behavior. This is the reason why non-addicts find it hard to understand addicts. It is this compulsion that separates an addict from someone who simply has a craving.

From my work, I have seen many different kinds of addictions. Of course, the most common ones are addictions that involve substances such as alcohol and drugs. Anything though can be a source of addiction. There are people I’ve worked with who are addicted to sex. Then there are those who are addicted to gambling.

One form of addiction that is rarely discusses in the media is food addiction. Yet I believe that this is one of the most common forms of addiction, especially in the US. You just need to look at the increasing number of obese and overweight people in the US to know that food addiction is a big problem. This is also the reason why many people find it hard to follow any weight loss regimen and diets.

A common characteristic among addicts is the tendency to be in denial about their conditions. Most addicts would be assert that they are totally in control of their behavior. This is why most addicts would realize that they have a problem when it is already too late. This is also the reason why intervention from friends and relatives are almost always necessary. It is very rare that an addict would admit that he or she has a problem and would seek treatment by him or herself.

Why are most addicts in denial?

For the simple reason that they think they will lose something if they ever give up their addictive behavior. In truth, they are not really gaining anything from their anything from their addictive behavior. Hence, they will not really lose anything if they will be cured of their addictions.

As a counselor, helping addicts get rid of their addiction is main point of my work. But experience has taught me that helping the loved ones of addicts is also necessary. They are what psychologists call co-dependents. And they need as much help – sometimes even more – as the addicts themselves. Like what I’ve said earlier, the first step is to understand what addiction is.

Hopefully, this article was able to enlighten people about this often confusing subject. Understanding addiction and addicts and knowing what addicts go through is the first step towards finding an effective and lasting solution to the problem.